Protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) catalyse the phosphorylation of tyrosyl residues in various proteins involved in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation (Wilks et al., Prog. Growth Factor Res. 2 (1990) 97-111; Chan, A. C., and Shaw, A. S., Curr. Opin. Immunol. 8 (1996) 394-401). Such PTKs can be divided into receptor tyrosine kinases (e.g. EGFR/HER-1, c-erB2/HER-2, c-met, PDGFr, FGFr) and non-receptor tyrosine kinases (e.g. src, lck). It is known that many oncogenes encode proteins which are aberrant tyrosine kinases capable of causing cell transformation (Yarden, Y., and Ullrich, A., Annu. Rev. Biochem. 57 (1988) 443-478; Larsen et al., Ann. Reports in Med. Chem., 1989, Chpt. 13). Also over-expression of a normal proto-oncogenic tyrosine kinase may result in proliferative disorders.
It is known that receptor tyrosine kinases of the HER-family like HER-2 and EGFR (HER-1) are frequently aberrantly expressed in common human cancers such as breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer such as colon, rectal or stomach cancer, leukaemia and ovarian, bronchial and pancreatic cancer. High levels of these receptors correlate with poor prognosis and response to treatment (Wright, C., et al., Br. J. Cancer 65 (1992) 118-121). Accordingly, it has been recognized that inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinases are useful as selective inhibitors of the growth of mammalian cancer cells. Therefore several small molecule compounds as well as monoclonal antibodies are in clinical trials for the treatment of various types of cancer (Baselga, J., and Hammond, L. A., Oncology 63 (Suppl. 1) (2002) 6-16; Ranson, M., and Sliwkowski, M. X., Oncology 63 (Suppl. 1) (2002) 17-24). However there remains a need for new compounds with improved therapeutic properties, such as improved activity, solubility, tolerability, selectivity or stability to name only a few.